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R. R. ROBERTS.

PIBRATING MACHINE.

No. 418,899. Patented JR11.7,189O.

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ROBERT R. ROBERTS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO RUDOLF GOLDSCHMID, TRUSTEE, OF SAME PLACE.

FienATiNe-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 418,899, dated January 7, 1890. Application ned october 18,1887. sena No. 252,725. oa model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT R. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have irlvented a new and useful Improvement in Fibrating-Wfachines, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to the treatment of fibrous plants; and it consists in means 1o whereby all classes of fibrous plants and vegef tables may be filam ented, thoroughly washed, cleansed, and bleached by successive steps that will remove all gummy, pulpy, and coloringmatter, leaving the fibrous portions sepa- I 5 rated into filaments entirely1 free from allgother substances, all as hereinafter more particularly described, illustrated in the drawings, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, zo iirwhich like letters of reference point out similar parts on veach figure, Figure I represents in perspective a machine embodying my invention, showing part of the gear and driving mechanism. Fig. 2 is an end view of the machine, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a detached View of a portion of the water-discharging pipe. Fig. ff represents, on an enlarged scale, a segment of the main drum, showing a group of operating-bars extending 3o radially therefrom, and also one of `the bars detached. Fig. 5 is a detailview of a portion of the front of the machine, parts being broken away, showing `means for moving the feed-tablev vertically and horizontally. 3 5 In the drawings, A is the frame, preferably of metal, which supports the working part of the machine.

Bis a drum or cylinder mounted upon a shaft C, journaled in bearings at opposite 4o sides of the frame and connected by belting or any suitable means to' driving gear by which a rotary motion is imparted to lsaid drum? The vperiphery of the drum is formed with aseries of equidistant longitudinal dovetail grooves for the reception of the dovetail Shanks D of the scutching, disintegrating, and scraping bars E F G. Y

The bar or section E, which I calla scutcher, has on its face a series of longitudinal angular edges e, formed by a series particularly presently set forth.

the plant without breaking any of its fibers,

so that the pulp, sap, gum, pigment,- and all 6o other matter contained in the plant shall be released from the fibrous portions thereof, and as released shall be washed away by streams and jets of water impinging thereon, as more G is a bar, which I call a scrapen It'has extending over the full length of its face a series of transverse V-shaped channels, thereby leaving rows of obliquely-faced ^shaped blades or teeth g, (see Fig. 4,) the function of 7o which being t-o strip the plant and separate y the fibers in direction of their length.

Over the drum, and suitably secured to the frame, isa semi-cylindrical hood or casing H, which, when the machine is operated, prevents the water or any of the material from being thrown outwardly bycentrifugal ac-' tion. Saidv hood is hinged ath, whereby it can be lifted up, (see dotted lines, Fig. 2,) for an obvious purpose. 8o

Under the drum B, parallel thereto and some distance forward thereof, is another drum I, of smaller diameter, journaled at opposite ends of the frame, and operated to rotate in an opposite direction `to the'drum B 85 through a cross-bolt VV,- as .illustrated in Fig. 2.

The drum I has radially extending from its periphery a series of beaters F.A .Y

At the front of the machine just helowthe 9o. horizontal diametrical plane of the drum B isa bed J, constituting part of the feed mech anism. Said bed is adjustably mounted upon the frame, so as to be raised or lowered vertically by means of screws lo'and miter- 95 gearing L. The preferred mechanism for raising and lowering said bed is illustrated in Figs. 1r, 2, and 5. Below said bedand loosely journaled. in sockets y, attached to the inner faces of the standards A, is atransloo verse shaft Y, supplied with ahand-wheel y. Firmly mounted upon said shaft near'each end, so as to turn therewith, is a wheel having peripheral bevel-faced teeth that mesh with a similar wheel at the lower end of the vertical shaft K, the two bevel-faced wheels composing unter-gearing L. Said vertical shaft is screw-threaded at. the upper portion of its length, the lower under portion being journaled to turn in a strap if, bolted to the inner surface of the standard A'; (See Figs. l and 5.) The under surface ofv the bedJ at the place where each shaft K is adjusted, as

labove described, has a block J', provided with a screw-threaded bore j, into which and meshing therewith takes the upper end of the shaft K." It will-be readily understood that the bed J can be raised or lowered by turning the hand-wheel y. Said bed` carries an adjustable sliding feed-table M, movable horizontally within ways 'm by means of screws M', operated b'yhand-wheels m. By this means the material is presented in proper position to be actedupoirbyfthe drums B and I. Above and below the bed and table, near the rear edges thereof, Aare located horizontal tubes or pipes N, which are connected with any suitable water-supply by "means of branch pipes NV and the pipes O, which latter should be provided with suitable valvesto cut off the ii'ow when drawn from a main. I

prefer,A however, that said pipes O should be 'small openings n,-which are connected by narrow slots n', so as to discharge water in a series of small jets and in connected thin sheets upon the material from above and below while under treatment.' v

` The water should be charged with suitable bleaching compound, and for this purpose the upper part of the conduit-pipe O has ledinto it a branch pipe Q, extending from a tank R. Said tank is supplied with .bleaching conipound in solution, that, whenthe valve q is opened, will be free to tlow therefrom through the upper branch pipe N', to be discharged downwardly through the upper pipe N. At the lower part of pipe Q 'is a valve S, which Y is operated bya small pulley s, connected to the general gear of the machine. The object .of said valve is to provide means for-con,-r

trolling the ow through the pipe Q. As the pulley s revolves, the conduit will be alternately closed and opened. it is desired that an uninterrupted stream shall pass down to-and within the pipe '0, the

port-holes of the valves are brought into alignment with the pipe, the belt of the pulley sis unshipped, and the'liquid will be 1free to flow continuously from the pipe'Q'into the pipev O, andv from thence will be led into the pipes N N to be intermingled with the water therein. The object of thus controlling vthe outiiow from the tank is as follows: Said tank is, as

lVhen, however,

before set forth, charged with bleaching compound in solution. All the plants to be treated by myfmachine do not require a like quantity or strength of such compound. Prograduating the feed thereof-viz., for allowing a continuous flow by opening the cock q of the pipe Q and unshipping the belt of the pulley s, or for decreasing the 'low from the tank R by alternately opening and closing the valve S. Itc/is obvious that the feed from the tank R can be entirely cut off by means ofthe c ock q. f

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown gearing, driving-pulley, ily-wheel, duc., adapted to 4op- V-erate the several members of the machine simultaneously from one source of power; but it is obvious the same may be varied without departing from the scope of my invention. '-.The vobject of forming dovetail shanks to the bars to be seated in the dovetail grooves of the drum is tokeep said bars firmly in position when said drum is rapidly TV'ifevolvedg but I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to this manner of connectingvthe bars tothe drum,l as it is manifest thatother means may be employed for such purpose and be within-the scope of my'invention-as, for instance, bolts, stirrups, straps, or any mechanisln employed `on analogous devices. When, however, the dovetails are used; I prefer that they shall taper slightly longitudinally from end te end, so that each drum by bein'g struck at fthe smaller end of the tapering dovetail member. This construction is illustrated in detail of Fig. 4.

Y My invention will be readily understood from the above description in connection with the drawings; but in Aorder that all persons familiar with the art to which it is allied may practice the same I will proceed to de scribe its operation in detail. Motion being imparted to the Ymachine and the water-supply being tu-rned on, the material is fed over the table M toward the rotating drums, said table having been previously adjusted to its proper position. The end of the plant to be treated is presented to the rotating bars and is slowly'fed along the table toward the revolving drums. plant is -fed is indicated in dotted lines and arrows, Fig. l.. There is a small space intervening between ythe `inner edge of the table drum B. As the material passes over the 'edge of the table it will have a tendency to fall by gravity; but the jets and sheets of water ejected upwardly from the lower pipe N i tinually throwA it upwardly, 'said water forming a 'yielding'surface Vhen a sufficient lengthiof' the material has been fed fromthe table to reach the lower druml, it willl loosely rest thereon and be' subjected on its under drum, while the upper surface will be acted of the bars can be readily removed from the will tend to supportsaid material and'con vision is therefore made, as described, for

ICC

IIO.

The mannerv in which the- M and the faces of the several bars on the surface to the action of the beaters F on said s compounds, the eifect ofwhich will be to eventually bleach the filaments.

The material to be treated is subjected to the action of the rotating scutchers, beaters, and Scrapers upon tho drum B in theol-der named, and at the same time to the action of the impregnated water from above and`` the sheet and jets of-water frombelow, also during progression to action ot' the beaters upon the drum l, whereby the plant is completely fbrated, thoroughly cleaned, scraped, and bleached.

It is evident that any number of groups of operating bars may be adjusted upon the drum B, arranged in the order described.

I am aware that it is not new to discharge water onto plants wh ile theyare being passed through disintegrating and decorticating machines, and lay no claim, broadly, thereto.

Having thus fully described my invention and the manner of practicing the same, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat--` ent, is-

1. The drum B, provided upon its periphery and radially extending therefromA with scutchers E, having upon their face and eX- tcnding the full length thereof parallel longitudinal V-shaped grooves e, beaters F, having one side datand the opposite side fcurved in cross-section, and scrapers G, provided on their faces with V-shaped transverse channels forming a series of V-shaped teeth the full length of each scraper, said scutchers, beaters, and Scrapers being arranged in groups in the consecutive order as named, each one being of the full length of the drum, as and for the purpose intended, substantially as described.

2. The drum B, armed with a series of scutching, beating, and scraping devices ex. tending radially therefrom, and the bed J,

provided with means for verticaladjustment,

said bed supplied with feed-table M, provided with means for horizontal movement upon the bed, all in combination with water-distributin g pipes arranged above and below the feed-table, said pipes provided with eductionopenings, whereby, when the machine is actuated, water will b`e ejected upwardly and downwardly, substantially'as described.

3. The combination of drum B, armed with the scutching, beating, and scraping bars, of t-he water-distributing pipes having a series of eduction-apertures and connecting-slots adapted to discharge water in jets and sheets, substantially as described.

4. The drum B, having Aupon its surface and radially extending therefrom in consecutive order scutchers E, having V-shaped longitudinal grooves e extending the full length thereof, beaters F, havingone -side flat and the opposite side f curved incross-section, and Scrapers G, provided with transverse V- shaped grooves the full lengththereof, said scutchers, beaters, and Scrapers arranged consecutively in the order named, in combina;A tion with the drum I, of smaller diameter than said drum B, armed with radially-extending beaters F, said drums by means of a crossedr belt W being geared to rotate in opposite directions, as and for the purpos v indicated, ,sbstantially as described.

`5. The combination, in a machine for tibrating vegetable substances, of the following elements: a rotatable drum armed upon its periphery with groups of switching, beating, and scraping bars, a rotatable drum of smaller diameter armed with radially=extending beater-bars, a feedLtable provided with means, as described, for adjustment vertically and horizontally, and eduction-pipes arranged to discharge toward said feed-table -from above and below, all connected to suitable gearing,

whereby the drums shall be rotated andthe water be distributed simultaneously, substantially as described.'

ROBERTl R. ROBERTS.

, Witnesses: i

SAML. H. JAcoBso-N, ANsoN S. TAYLOR. 

